What is it like to be a fat person in a fat-shaming world? What are the political and ideological underpinnings of the 'obesity crisis'? Fat studies is an emerging academic field that asks such questions.

Nothing to Lose invites the audience to engage with the richness, nuance, and variety of fat bodies.
Ally Garrett, by Toby Burrows11 mars 2015

Obesity is commonly regarded as one of the most significant threats to health in the developed world. It is strongly linked with cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and impaired mobility. Governments…

Media stories tend to use the image of a headless fatty as a stand-in for all fat people.
Stocky Bodies7 avril 2013

Stories on street harassment are popping up across the fat-o-sphere. Popular bloggers such as the Fat Heffalump are sharing their stories; and Adipositivity Project founder Substantia Jones has created…

People who are deemed overweight or obese (as the medical terms have it) or fat (as many fat activists prefer to call their body size) suffer discrimination, prejudice and humiliation from several fronts…

A couple of weeks back I awoke with a swollen and painful knee. I’ve had problem knees since high school and figured that this was just another chapter in the saga. Some days later I was fed up – my knee…

It’s not often that academic conferences get attention from anyone other than academics themselves.
Kevin Mullett25 juillet 2012

A usual academic event had a rather unusual impact earlier this month – a conference drew international media attention. Fat Studies: Reflective Intersections took place at Massey University in Wellington…

Fatty, go on a diet. Hey doggie, you can do it – you can make it up that hill. Girls are so fat these days, it’s disgraceful – in my day, we watched our weight. You’re beautiful, but you’d be even more…

Fat discrimination may result from everyday values and practices we use to regulate our relationship to food and public life.
davehighbury/Flickr29 mai 2012

The persecution of people for their weight is a serious problem that should be addressed by government and civil society. But the ideal of ending fat discrimination faces some profound difficulties. This…